Great video! I was wondering about the FW15 in thick wet grass. I've been considering this mower for a while but you have answered all my big questions on it. Thank you for the great videos, keep posting them.
Yes, it's incredible to see a walk behind/push mower that doesn't get bogged down, at all. Period.. Many manufacturers claim "no bogging down, no clogging up" but this puppy really churns through everything you throw at it.. I guess the old adage "There's no replacement for displacement", or in this case "there's no replacement for pure power" rings more true than ever. When you look at it the solution is damn easy, simply put more powerful engine on a mower.. My commercial 21" Honda is one of if not the best commercial push mower on the market, but it gets bogged down all the time if the grass is wet or just a bit taller. When you mow lawns for living sometimes you can't escape cutting the wet grass. And then it's 10 yards of mowing - unclog the deck, resume... It's annoying as f*** plus it cost me time and money... That mower has the 200cc engine with 5,5-6HP.. I say install the 300cc engine, you can't overpower it.... Ferrris FW15 suddenly doesn't seem so expensive anymore (maybe)..
If you have fences in the back yard, fitting though the gate, THIS MOWER IS FOR YOU!!! The money like you stated is an issue, but this machine is the cats pajamas I cut central Texas. Austin area, everything has a fence with about a 35-37 inch gate (guess) and this bad boy fits right in and does work!!
Nice job given the conditions. Liking the design for a middle-ground mower. I noticed that your helper was using the reverse to help turn around. Made it look lighter than the specs would suggest
Wanted to let you know in my opinion, this mower is top of its class (even a previous owner of the Time Master). My biggest disappointment so far is the rear bagging system. So I installed a side discharge bagger from my Worldlawn WY2811BS. After a little fabrication to mount the bracket to the FW15, it works fabulous! Those grass catcher are only $100 from a local dealer. $150 if you order online.
thinking about selling my z1 36 for one of these bad boys. hope it cuts thick fescue and KBG . z1 is over kill and like any 36 leaves ruts especially in the early spring when double and triple cutting is common
Nicely done. I finally got one. . I have mixed opinions of it now. It's a walk behind and not a mower. . I wish it had fu hydro.. but it's a cool walk behind mower
Yea. Exactly. I only wished I'd jumped on it sooner. Factory is shut down because of coronavirus and my dealer says "late May the earliest". I've found some at other dealers but they're 5 states away and shipping makes it cost prohibitive.
@@HandyGuy2016 I been watching these videos. Guy said don’t out grow the buisness and don’t let the buisness out grow you. Meaning don’t take more that you can bite off with your equipment. Reputation everything. Then don’t get crazy invested into anything where you don’t have the work for. Don’t want to afford equipment that’s not being used
@@HandyGuy2016 I been thinking about building one of those cargo baskets for receiver hitch. To where it’s wide enough for this mower with a flip down ramp. Then get the deal to lock the foot in place and use straps lol
Just like you mentioned, this mower is more and more impressive the more you use it. Question... I made a mess changing the oil. Any tips with oil changes? Maybe a video, hint, hint...
HandyGuy 2016 The Honda manual recommends first 20 hours then every 100 hours. I’m big on preventive maintenance so I will change every 50 hours since the engine doesn’t have a oil filter.
Just buy a $10 vac oil change kit. Draw the oil out the dipstick tube, not one drop lost. Put a 2x6 under two wheels to get all the oil towards the dipstick.
@@HandyGuy2016 ...so I demo'd one today....super super impressed. It's quite intuitive with respect to the propulsion. I'd almost describe it as a torque vectoring orbital valve system that calculates the division of tire speed/torque/power based on the operator's manual input. It calculates it perfectly and on the fly....the inside tire does not drag....ever. Both wheels are drive wheels no matter what maneuver you're try to negotiate. Honestly ...i was speechless initially. Had my wife hop on and she felt like master operator in seconds... and this is NOT her jam.. Ferris is the Mercedes of the lawn equipment world....as it relates to innovation. I'm SOLD!!!!!
@@HandyGuy2016 the the motor struggle, the deck clog too frequently or cut quality suffer? Also, did any of its failings shine in thicker vs cooler climate grasses? Ya know, if you have the info handy! 😁
The deck would clog, which would make the cut quality go down. The engine has plenty of power, so it's not a problem. As far as climate, it didn't seem to make a difference, just the moisture content and more than a week of growth.
HandyGuy 2016 thanks! In your opinion, would this be overkill for just under an acre of lawn? I want a nice cut, not to mention has to be reliable because I hate when things break an let me down 😂
I have tried mine with the casters locked and I didn't like it. It's great with the swivel casters, but I only have about 5 minutes of experience not having them swivel.
Hi, can you please elaborate a bit why you're not satisfied with the Exmark 30. As much as I know it's almost a clone of the Toro Turfmaster which is itself a commercial upgrade of the Toro Timemaster. And I've been mowing here and there with the Timemaster when I have the opportunity to lend it from buddy. And I'm impressed and satisfied with Timemaster, and mind you this is the residential mower, but its been cutting lawn after lawn for many years now. And my friend says with almost no break downs.. I have no doubt that FW15 is a better mower than Exmark 30", but as I see it the only advantage would be the castor wheels and the more powerful engine. But of course, the price is a lot higher. Here in EU Turfmaster is $3500 while FW15 is $5300.
This is a walk behind mower micro commercial, the same way that those 36" commercial zero turns are zero turns and not home owner grade riders completely different level of machine...
The biggest drawback to me is the bagging system as it didn’t look like it did well when the grass was wet and it’s too timely to take on and off. I would also have to figure out a better chute block contraption to make it easier and more fluid/less permanent than your temporary fix. I’m really debating between this and a 36” hydro. The 36” would be basically double the cost but it’s a little bigger and if you are running in a bigger area you could speed it up and use a sulky/velke which speeds up the process and could mean having less equipment.
i have a 36" Toro belt drive with sulky bagger ect and if you have a zero turn i would buy this if not ii would buy the 36" walk behind, you would not believe how fast you can go on a sulky, you would have to run behind this machine all day to keep up(and run fast too).
I do here it bogging just a bit but it still is a beast of a mower @ 10.2 HP Would have bin even sweeter if it came with a 13 or 15 HP Kawasaki on it Man that would have made this Ferris 32" even more of a Beast .Sad they don't make them anymore everything is on hold to God knows when Do to no Honda Motors to be made. Also the price has gone up so much on this ferris there starting @ now over 4000.00 They used to be 2600 out the door price now closer to 5000.00 out the door whenever they are being produced again witch is no time soon Very Sad !!!
Let's compare this to Toro Turfmaster (Timemaster is the residential mower after all so it wouldn't be fair).. As I see it Toro has the following advantages.. First is the bag that comes with Toro. ALthough there are grass catchers for FW15, they are all cumbersome and much less effective than a good old bag that is attached to the back side of the mower. Next is availability of repair shops. Let's face it, Toro trumps Ferris 10:1. And last but not least - the price.. Turfmaster is almost 50% cheaper than Ferris FW15... Now to FW15. First it's the more powerful machine that won't bog down even in tall and wet grass, Turfmaster will most definitely get bogged down more often than you think (that power difference is noticeble). Next - maneuverability.. FW15 has the castor wheels which are, in my humble opinion, the only way to go when handling such a heavy push mower. Also FW15 has the reverse gear... Ferris is also more robust with thicker steel and more substantial build.. But once again, all these advantages are mirrored in the price Ferris wants you to give them for this mower... I think it's a superb machine but a bit too expensive.. Fw15 is edging into the price bracket of some of the better residential zero turn mowers with seats and engines with over 20 HP... So the choice is your people...
@@HandyGuy2016 You lucky bas****. Wanna know how much it cost here in Europe? Let me do the conversion from € to $ and voila - 5550 dollars.. Just last year it was $4500.. Tough times for landcare business owners..
@@HandyGuy2016 Yup.. That's why I haven't seen a single one in use live... There's an urban legend that one guy 100miles from my town once used one...... LOL... Anyway, you catch my drift.. And don't get me started on the commercial stand on or zero turn mlwers... Yaixxxx.
I don't understand the whole confusion on mower terminology. A push mower you have to push, it has no drive mechanism. A walk behind you have to walk behind but has a drive to do most of the work. Everyone needs to stop calling 21in walk behinds push mowers, they aren't... Thanks for the demo. I am curious what it looked like the next day though. It didn't appear to be mulching up the clippings much.
Correct, it is in the "walk behind" class. This was the first cut on this property with an open deck, no mulch kit, so it did decent as far as the clippings are concerned. It looked much better when we mowed it a week later. I don't bag clippings, but this would have been a good time to.
should have cut a strip down the middle and worked your way out, making it twice as hard on the machine to cut the way hes going at it.. good video though...
Great video,no music and not sped up.perfect
Great video! I was wondering about the FW15 in thick wet grass. I've been considering this mower for a while but you have answered all my big questions on it. Thank you for the great videos, keep posting them.
Yes, it's incredible to see a walk behind/push mower that doesn't get bogged down, at all. Period.. Many manufacturers claim "no bogging down, no clogging up" but this puppy really churns through everything you throw at it.. I guess the old adage "There's no replacement for displacement", or in this case "there's no replacement for pure power" rings more true than ever.
When you look at it the solution is damn easy, simply put more powerful engine on a mower.. My commercial 21" Honda is one of if not the best commercial push mower on the market, but it gets bogged down all the time if the grass is wet or just a bit taller. When you mow lawns for living sometimes you can't escape cutting the wet grass. And then it's 10 yards of mowing - unclog the deck, resume... It's annoying as f*** plus it cost me time and money... That mower has the 200cc engine with 5,5-6HP.. I say install the 300cc engine, you can't overpower it.... Ferrris FW15 suddenly doesn't seem so expensive anymore (maybe)..
If you have fences in the back yard, fitting though the gate, THIS MOWER IS FOR YOU!!! The money like you stated is an issue, but this machine is the cats pajamas
I cut central Texas. Austin area, everything has a fence with about a 35-37 inch gate (guess) and this bad boy fits right in and does work!!
The FW-15 kicks butt!!
Nice job given the conditions. Liking the design for a middle-ground mower. I noticed that your helper was using the reverse to help turn around. Made it look lighter than the specs would suggest
Wanted to let you know in my opinion, this mower is top of its class (even a previous owner of the Time Master). My biggest disappointment so far is the rear bagging system. So I installed a side discharge bagger from my Worldlawn WY2811BS. After a little fabrication to mount the bracket to the FW15, it works fabulous! Those grass catcher are only $100 from a local dealer. $150 if you order online.
Do you mind showing a picture of it
Beast of a mower! Good job!
Thank you
Damm. Can't wait to get mine. Thanks. No worries with this mower.
Sold my 36 and added a 52 to the team. Been using a 21 for backyards. Was considering a 30 till now. This is going to be added to the team
It really does seem to be a solid mower.
just picked up one of these. you definitely need to take it back to the dealer for the caster fork update.
I think mine came with the update, I have never had an issue.
Could you do a video or pictures of the fork update? Or does it look exactly the same?
thinking about selling my z1 36 for one of these bad boys. hope it cuts thick fescue and KBG . z1 is over kill and like any 36 leaves ruts especially in the early spring when double and triple cutting is common
Nicely done. I finally got one. . I have mixed opinions of it now. It's a walk behind and not a mower. . I wish it had fu hydro.. but it's a cool walk behind mower
Looking to see the scag 30 in action. The offset blades might give it an advantage. Thanks for the upload
I have not seen it in person yet.
Lots of clutch issues, super heavy, plastic wheels tall and skinny leaves ruts, and new kohl’s engine is having issues too.
FW for the win.
I'll be saving up to get one of these at the start of 2021. It's a perfect replacement for both my Toro Timemaster and Honda HRX217.
Yea. Exactly. I only wished I'd jumped on it sooner. Factory is shut down because of coronavirus and my dealer says "late May the earliest". I've found some at other dealers but they're 5 states away and shipping makes it cost prohibitive.
I’m about to startup. I’m thinking this would be good to get started doing residential until I scale up and get something with bigger deck
I think it's a great machine for that.
@@HandyGuy2016 I been watching these videos. Guy said don’t out grow the buisness and don’t let the buisness out grow you. Meaning don’t take more that you can bite off with your equipment. Reputation everything. Then don’t get crazy invested into anything where you don’t have the work for. Don’t want to afford equipment that’s not being used
@@HandyGuy2016 prolly go with that and echo trimmer and blower. Then acquire a edger and shrub trimmer
@@HandyGuy2016 I been thinking about building one of those cargo baskets for receiver hitch. To where it’s wide enough for this mower with a flip down ramp. Then get the deal to lock the foot in place and use straps lol
@@derrickhenry8620 I have had good luck with Echo and Husqvarna.
I just bought one, definitely has plenty of power. I have a toro time master and it really lacks power compared to this
Just like you mentioned, this mower is more and more impressive the more you use it. Question... I made a mess changing the oil. Any tips with oil changes? Maybe a video, hint, hint...
I like the way you think 🙂 How often are you changing it? I have not yet.
HandyGuy 2016 The Honda manual recommends first 20 hours then every 100 hours. I’m big on preventive maintenance so I will change every 50 hours since the engine doesn’t have a oil filter.
@@BillyGoatLawnService good to know
Just buy a $10 vac oil change kit. Draw the oil out the dipstick tube, not one drop lost. Put a 2x6 under two wheels to get all the oil towards the dipstick.
First Name thanks, actually I do have a oil pump. I will be sure to use it next oil change.
I am considering this or 33” cub cadet walk behind.
Thank you 😊
AWESOME mower but why the tiny fuel tank?
Good question
How does it turn with only one lever...?. Are both drive wheels driven by the hydro pump? I don't get it....
Hydraulic rear drive with a differential rear axle so the wheels can turn seperately. Works really smooth.
@@HandyGuy2016 ...so...one open diff....does it do a one wheel peel? Or some how a limited slip design while under power? Thanks
@@JerseyFrank007 limited slip, for turning
@@HandyGuy2016 ...so I demo'd one today....super super impressed. It's quite intuitive with respect to the propulsion. I'd almost describe it as a torque vectoring orbital valve system that calculates the division of tire speed/torque/power based on the operator's manual input. It calculates it perfectly and on the fly....the inside tire does not drag....ever. Both wheels are drive wheels no matter what maneuver you're try to negotiate. Honestly ...i was speechless initially. Had my wife hop on and she felt like master operator in seconds... and this is NOT her jam.. Ferris is the Mercedes of the lawn equipment world....as it relates to innovation. I'm SOLD!!!!!
Like you for the information and great video
Have you had a chance to try mulching with it or do you just keep to double cuts?
I tried the mulch kit for a season, but it was too much trouble on bi-weekly cuts. On weekly lawns it was great.
@@HandyGuy2016 the the motor struggle, the deck clog too frequently or cut quality suffer?
Also, did any of its failings shine in thicker vs cooler climate grasses?
Ya know, if you have the info handy! 😁
The deck would clog, which would make the cut quality go down. The engine has plenty of power, so it's not a problem. As far as climate, it didn't seem to make a difference, just the moisture content and more than a week of growth.
@@HandyGuy2016 so, much like most mowers! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Wheres the mulch kit?
This was before the mulch kit was installed
I heard from another landscaper that this engine outputs 17lbft of torque? This is huge if it does.
It's stout, I can say that much for sure.
How much is the price on one of these bad boys? I just bought a house and now on the hunt for a reliable mower
$2800 before attachments.
HandyGuy 2016 thanks! In your opinion, would this be overkill for just under an acre of lawn? I want a nice cut, not to mention has to be reliable because I hate when things break an let me down 😂
Also, I feel the new Honda HRN will be too small at 21 or 22”
@@proz71ful19 I don't think so, especially if you are thinking long term.
My dealer has the fixed wheel not the swivel casters, is it worth the extra money to get the swivels or could you live without them ?
I have tried mine with the casters locked and I didn't like it. It's great with the swivel casters, but I only have about 5 minutes of experience not having them swivel.
The fixed wheel is $2,000 at my dealer, the swivel model cost $2,800...so im asking myself, 800$ is it worth it? Or can I live without them.
@@AB-mj5tm I would not want it without the swivel casters, just my opinion.
I’m pretty sure if you’ve used or have a regular 32” walk behind, you’re probably not gonna like the fixed wheels.
I just got one $-2600 with mulch kit installed
Great deal!
I bought the exmark 30" X series for this season $2,437.99. Not liking it at all. Wishing I would have purchased this for the extra $600.
I'm very happy with it, on our third season with it now.
If you want swivel wheels it's 3500.
Hi, can you please elaborate a bit why you're not satisfied with the Exmark 30. As much as I know it's almost a clone of the Toro Turfmaster which is itself a commercial upgrade of the Toro Timemaster. And I've been mowing here and there with the Timemaster when I have the opportunity to lend it from buddy. And I'm impressed and satisfied with Timemaster, and mind you this is the residential mower, but its been cutting lawn after lawn for many years now. And my friend says with almost no break downs..
I have no doubt that FW15 is a better mower than Exmark 30", but as I see it the only advantage would be the castor wheels and the more powerful engine. But of course, the price is a lot higher. Here in EU Turfmaster is $3500 while FW15 is $5300.
@@BrillianceAutoSpa I don't think there's the Exmark 30" with the swivel wheels, is there one?
Cool mower I need a 36 ..one
Nice cutting
Thank you
Damn that thing is sweet. I want to try one out.
We really like it. I mow my personal lawn with it.
Have you upgraded the yokes?
My dealer did last week, even though I never had any issues.
Thanks! They look the same?
@@kenmiller1341 I can't tell any difference.
Thanks again, and I appreciate all the great vids
This is a walk behind mower micro commercial, the same way that those 36" commercial zero turns are zero turns and not home owner grade riders completely different level of machine...
The biggest drawback to me is the bagging system as it didn’t look like it did well when the grass was wet and it’s too timely to take on and off. I would also have to figure out a better chute block contraption to make it easier and more fluid/less permanent than your temporary fix.
I’m really debating between this and a 36” hydro. The 36” would be basically double the cost but it’s a little bigger and if you are running in a bigger area you could speed it up and use a sulky/velke which speeds up the process and could mean having less equipment.
i have a 36" Toro belt drive with sulky bagger ect and if you have a zero turn i would buy this if not ii would buy the 36" walk behind, you would not believe how fast you can go on a sulky, you would have to run behind this machine all day to keep up(and run fast too).
Cool mower but i still prefer 32 hydrocut, keep up the great content.
It is a hydro cut
@@JamesZ1025 ruclips.net/video/COUI78835XU/видео.html
Run into any problems yet with this machine?
No problems so far.
@@HandyGuy2016 great to hear sir!
What about now
I do here it bogging just a bit but it still is a beast of a mower @ 10.2 HP Would have bin even sweeter if it came with a 13 or 15 HP Kawasaki on it Man that would have made this Ferris 32" even more of a Beast .Sad they don't make them anymore everything is on hold to God knows when Do to no Honda Motors to be made. Also the price has gone up so much on this ferris there starting @ now over 4000.00 They used to be 2600 out the door price now closer to 5000.00 out the door whenever they are being produced again witch is no time soon Very Sad !!!
Bad situation for everyone, but other engine options would have been nice and a bigger fuel tank.
Let's compare this to Toro Turfmaster (Timemaster is the residential mower after all so it wouldn't be fair).. As I see it Toro has the following advantages.. First is the bag that comes with Toro. ALthough there are grass catchers for FW15, they are all cumbersome and much less effective than a good old bag that is attached to the back side of the mower. Next is availability of repair shops. Let's face it, Toro trumps Ferris 10:1. And last but not least - the price.. Turfmaster is almost 50% cheaper than Ferris FW15...
Now to FW15. First it's the more powerful machine that won't bog down even in tall and wet grass, Turfmaster will most definitely get bogged down more often than you think (that power difference is noticeble). Next - maneuverability.. FW15 has the castor wheels which are, in my humble opinion, the only way to go when handling such a heavy push mower. Also FW15 has the reverse gear...
Ferris is also more robust with thicker steel and more substantial build.. But once again, all these advantages are mirrored in the price Ferris wants you to give them for this mower... I think it's a superb machine but a bit too expensive.. Fw15 is edging into the price bracket of some of the better residential zero turn mowers with seats and engines with over 20 HP... So the choice is your people...
I agree 💯 The price point is way too high. That being said, I am quite happy with the machine and I paid a lot less in 2019 than they cost now.
@@HandyGuy2016 You lucky bas****. Wanna know how much it cost here in Europe? Let me do the conversion from € to $ and voila - 5550 dollars.. Just last year it was $4500.. Tough times for landcare business owners..
That is terrible ☹️
@@HandyGuy2016 Yup.. That's why I haven't seen a single one in use live... There's an urban legend that one guy 100miles from my town once used one...... LOL... Anyway, you catch my drift.. And don't get me started on the commercial stand on or zero turn mlwers... Yaixxxx.
I'm sorry to hear that. I have 2 new standers ordered and they are $2500 more (each) than the last 2 I purchased in 2019.
hi
I don't understand the whole confusion on mower terminology. A push mower you have to push, it has no drive mechanism. A walk behind you have to walk behind but has a drive to do most of the work.
Everyone needs to stop calling 21in walk behinds push mowers, they aren't...
Thanks for the demo. I am curious what it looked like the next day though. It didn't appear to be mulching up the clippings much.
Correct, it is in the "walk behind" class. This was the first cut on this property with an open deck, no mulch kit, so it did decent as far as the clippings are concerned. It looked much better when we mowed it a week later. I don't bag clippings, but this would have been a good time to.
If it doesn't have dual hydros, it's a push mower in my book.
put it up to 5 inches then no probleemos
should have cut a strip down the middle and worked your way out, making it twice as hard on the machine to cut the way hes going at it.. good video though...
Good tip
Thing is, it double cuts and essentially "mulches" the clipping for a better apearence. You are correct though!